Caritas Canada

The Canadian Catholic Organization For Development and Peace is the member organization in Canada of CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, a Confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations working on behalf of the poor and oppressed in 198 countries and territories. It is one of the largest NGO networks in the world.

CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS

CARITAS works with and for those in need regardless of creed, race, gender, or ethnicity. Its mandate includes integral development, emergency relief, advocacy, peace building, respect for human rights, and support for proper stewardship of the planet’s environment and resources.

The CARITAS approach is based on the social teaching of the Catholic Church, which focuses on the dignity of the human person. CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS’ work on behalf of the poor manifests God’s love for all of creation.

What makes CARITAS unique is its ongoing presence in communities, before, during, and after crisis situations.

CARITAS also promotes partnership: local autonomy is paramount in ensuring effective teamwork for the good of all. By pooling expertise and resources, CARITAS is able to identify issues at the grassroots, analyse them at national and international levels, and then take action locally, regionally, and globally.

CARITAS’s General Secretariat is located at Rome’s Palazzo San Calisto, which forms part of Vatican City. The Confederation’s official languages are English, French and Spanish.